Arkansas Razorback LB Brooks Ellis Named to Preseason Butkus Award List
Written by Ryan Wright
The 2015 football season should see a return of a great many positive things for the Arkansas Razorbacks on the football field. The team is stocked full of SEC quality returning talent and the two-deep is as talented as the 10-win 2010 team and the 11-win 2011 squad.
If the ball bounces favorably for the Hogs, Arkansas could claim the SEC West in 2015, a feat not accomplished since 2006. Among the many potential positives, an accomplishment never achieved for a Razorback player, is winning the Butkus Award, an honor weakside linebacker Brooks Ellis could contend for this season.
The preseason Butkus Award watch list came out on Tuesday naming 51 of the top linebackers in the nation. Of the 51, 16 players suit up for SEC programs, tops in the nation. Alabama’s Reggie Ragland, Georgia’s Jordan Jenkins, Missouri’s Kentrell Brothers, and Florida’s Antonio Morrison may receive the lion’s share of the preseason hype but Ellis has a shot.
When the Hogs 2014 season concluded senior weakside linebacker Martrell Spaight led the SEC in tackles coming up with 128 stops. Ellis moves from the middle to the weaskside in 2015 taking over Spaight’s spot giving the junior an opportunity to come up with the same type of production.
No matter which SEC player dominates in 2015 all eyes will be on Arizona Wildcats linebacker Scooby Wright. Wright was bypassed by the Butkus Award voters in 2014 in favor of UCLA’s Eric Kendricks despite Wright having superior stats. Wright had 163 tackles (tops in the nation), 29 tackles for a loss (tops in the nation), and 14 sacks. Kendricks had a great season with 149 tackles but did not come close to replicating the same numbers as Wright playing in the same conference.
If Arkansas can reproduce similar stat numbers achieved in 2014 and add a SEC West contending season more attention will be drawn to Ellis. The Hogs finished the 2014 season with the nation’s No. 10 ranked defense. A better pass defense coupled with a better passing offense should change last season’s 7-6 record into a double-digit win season in 2015.
Butkus Award Watch List
Dominique Alexander, Oklahoma
Kendall Beckwith, LSU
Zeek Bigger, East Carolina
Joe Bolden, Michigan
Kentrell Brothers, Missouri
Richie Brown, Mississippi State
Kelby Brown, Duke
James Burgess, Louisville
De’Vondre Campbell, Minnesota
Su’a Cravens, USC
Brooks Ellis, Arkansas
Kyler Fackrell, Utah State
Travis Feeney, Washington
Leonard Floyd, Georgia
Josh Forrest, Kentucky
Kris Frost, Auburn
Darien Harris, Michigan State
Myles Jack, UCLA
Cory James, Colorado State
Jordan Jenkins, Georgia
C.J. Johnson, Ole Miss
Peter Kalambayi, Stanford
Raphael Kirby, Miami (Fla)
Carl Lawson, Auburn
Cory Littleton, Washington
Antonio Longino, Arizona State
Curt Maggitt, Tennessee
Blake Martinez, Stanford
Tyler Matakevich, Temple
Cassanova McKinzy, Auburn
Raekwon McMillan, Ohio State
Mason Monheim, Illinois
Nyles Morgan, Notre Dame
Antonio Morrison, Florida
Yannick Ngakoue, Maryland
Jared Norris, Utah
Reggie Northup, Florida State
Montese Overton, East Carolina
Joshua Perry, Ohio State
Reggie Ragland, Alabama
Jalen Reeves-Maybin, Tennessee
Luke Rhodes, William & Mary
Pete Robertson, Texas Tech
James Ross, Michigan
Anthony Sarao, USC
Michael Scherer, Missouri
Jaylon Smith, Notre Dame
Terrance Smith, Florida State
Eric Striker, Oklahoma
Jason Wittingham, Utah
Scooby Wright III, Arizona
Photo credit: kthv11.com; No. 51 Brooks Ellis.